Testimonials

Marion tutored our daughter Anna for her 11+ entrance exam for Grammar School. Marion really helped Anna tap into and achieve her full potential, which resulted in an 11+ score that was within the top 5% for the Warwickshire Schools area and several offers of places at Independent Schools including Oxford High School. She also has a wealth of knowledge about the State and independent Schools system and her advice was invaluable to us. We have no hesitation in recommending Marion, she is an excellent Tutor.

Barbara Horth - June 2023

Marion tutored my daughter for her 11 plus exam. My daughter took to Marion’s gentle and encouraging style straight away. Whilst my daughter is very confident in Maths, she was not so sure about the other elements of the exam. Marion worked with her to ground her Maths skills and build her confidence in verbal reasoning and comprehension. There was always a real eagerness from my daughter to attend the tuition sessions. I think she really enjoyed that one-to-one time. Marion also was able to talk to my daughter about her worries about attending grammar school, and over the time that Marion tutored her, my daughter came to believe in her abilities and showed pride in what she was learning. She has a place at Stratford Girls Grammar School. Working with Marion has made that whole process of applying and preparing for grammar school much easier for all of us.  

Chandima Dutton - March 2023

Marion tutored my son, Isaac, for the 11+ and I am very happy to recommend her to others. Marion quickly built a good relationship with Isaac - she challenged him and identified areas for him to work on but she also gave lots of positive feedback and encouragement and this gave him the confidence that he could achieve. She made sessions fun and Isaac always enjoyed going. Marion helped Isaac to score highly in the 11+ and secure a place at KES where he is now thriving.

Angharad - June 2023

Marion has worked wonders for our two children. Our daughter started tutoring to get her ready for the 11+ Grammar/ Independent School exams. Not only did she receive an offer from Alcester Grammar, she was offered Academic Scholarships for King’s High and Princethorpe College. Marion has of course helped her with preparation and knowledge for the exams but more than that, with Marion’s kind, encouraging and thorough approach, she gave our daughter confidence in her own ability allowing her to thrive. Our son was also tutored by Marion to prepare him for an entrance exam into Warwick Junior School, and once again Marion worked her magic, making sure there were no holes in his knowledge and preparing him for the exam. We were thrilled to be offered a place there too. We cannot recommend Marion enough, she has been a wonderful academic support to both our children.

Fred and Kiri Brookes - May 2023

We can 100% recommend Marion for both 11+ plus and Independent Schools entrance exam tutoring.  Our son started with Marion at the beginning of Year 5 and his vocabulary and Maths knowledge and application came on in leaps and bounds.  Marion has an ability to stretch and challenge bright kids and really enthuse them with learning new words and mathematical concepts.  Our son was so pleased to have the choice of an academic scholarship from Warwick and a place at KES Stratford (despite being in the outer catchment circle).  We have no doubt that Marion's expert tutoring was a vital factor in these two offers.  What was more important to us as parents though was that our son loved the sessions - Marion has nurtured and developed a love of learning in an 11 year old boy which is a really rare talent!

Mr and Mrs Lewis - April 2023

Marion has played a vital part in our children’s education.  After all the interruption to their school life from Covid we felt it important that they spent some time 1:1 with a tutor to ensure that they were achieving the level of education expected for their ages.  Their confidence and ability has done nothing but improve since they began and they are both now working above expectation for their ages. Both of the children, who are very different, enjoy their time with Marion.  We couldn’t recommend her more highly. 

Jodie Cherry - April 2023

Marion has been a wonderful tutor for both my children who have prepared for their 11+ examination with her. Marion is well organised in her sessions and preparation expected from the child between lessons. She manages to combine a good balance of support and stretch to a child and explains concepts in a clear and engaging manner. My son achieved a good 11+ score and secured a place at a grammar school and my daughter is working towards her 11+ presently and is enjoying the sessions. 

Helen Swift - April 2023

Marion tutored my twin boys in preparation for the entrance exams for two local independent schools. Both boys are quiet and reserved but she quickly established an excellent rapport with the boys and really brought out the best in both of them. She very quickly grasped the learning needs of each individual boy and worked according to each child’s different learning style and at a pace they found manageable. Both boys were offered places in their schools of choice. Marion was also a fantastic support to me as a parent trying to navigate a difficult and anxious time. She patiently answered all my questions and helped guide us through the process. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Marion as a tutor.

Marie Clifton - December 2022

Marion has been a very helpful tutor for our son heading towards his 11+ school entrance examinations. Marion has a wonderful warm manner, is well informed and very amenable. Her lessons were engaging and rewarding, with weekly homework set. We have noticed a huge increase in our son’s confidence and great progress leading up to his exams. Marion was very encouraging and clear what to expect in his exams and even did some work on interviewing techniques. Our son was offered a place at both schools he applied to and felt so comfortable, he even asked if he could continue weekly lessons with Marion after the exam. We could not recommend her highly enough.   

Nadine von Paledzki - June 2022

We would highly recommend Marion as a tutor. She has a thorough, professional and considered approach. She tutored first my son, currently Year 9 at Warwick School and then my daughter, currently Year 7 at King's High School. Both children loved their weekly sessions and found Marion to be kind and encouraging. She focussed on the areas where they needed support and prepared them expertly for the entrance exam process. We were thrilled when our son received offers from both Warwick School and Princethorpe College, and our daughter received an academic scholarship from Kingsley and an offer from King's High School. 

Hester, parent of Year 9 and Year 7 children - June 2022

Marcus had weekly lessons with Marion in preparation for the 11+ in Warwickshire. The lessons started off with an initial assessment, followed by a gradual introduction into the task in hand. This, at the time, seemed like an arduous affair for an adult, never mind a 9-year-old child. Marion dictated the pace throughout the process. She did it in a balanced and friendly way, considering Marcus’ ability and personality. This helped our son to remain focused, without feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by the sheer amount of work involved. It was not always plain sailing for Marcus though, but Marion was able to identify those difficult moments and introduce a lighter and fun way of presenting the material. She invested a lot of time and effort to get to know him well. Marion quickly developed a deep connection with him and understood what kept Marcus motivated, thus able to adjust to his needs and character. Marion’s personal approach was key in making the experience a whole lot easier. Needless to say, we were very appreciative and relieved that Marion took charge of the whole process from start to end. She gave us a piece of mind and made our lives easier. We admired her hard work, dedication, and individual approach. All her personal qualities, combined with her extensive knowledge of the 11+ exam, prepared Marcus to achieve a result above the qualifying score for all three of the Grammar Schools in Warwickshire. Thank you Marion for being such a great teacher and an inspiration for Marcus.

Kris & Anastasiya Emanuel - June 2022

We would highly recommend Marion as a tutor. She has an excellent helpful and friendly approach yet remaining professional at all times. We approached Marion about a year ago to tutor our then eight year old who can find maths sometimes a real challenge with consequent impact on his confidence. Marion’s style makes him feel relaxed and at ease with a subject that usually fills him with anxiety.  She explains things in a way he can more readily understand and gives him confidence. He has now developed a positive attitude about his sessions with Marion because he feels the time spent is both useful and enjoyable. We are grateful they are such a good match.

Dr Tarunya Arun - January 2019

My daughter has loved working with Marion Lawlor. She is patient and kind whilst ensuring the work is completed every session. She has challenged Scarlett’s abilities, pushing her to the next level, whilst ensuring her emotional wellbeing is nurtured. Mrs Lawlor has done wonders in supporting Scarlett to fill in the gaps in her knowledge. She has kept us involved, explaining what is going well and what needs to be worked on. She has given us tips and strategies to help us support Scarlett. Our daughter is now confident in her abilities and is looking forward to sitting her 11+ Exam.

Amanda Duncan - August 2017

Mrs Lawlor makes learning fun. She has helped me with my work and I have become more confident in the areas I struggled with before.

Scarlett - Year 6 Student - August 2018

Marion is lovely, but having said that does not put up with any nonsense. My child gets on very well with her and Marion has achieved more with my child in six months than I could have in six years.

Mother of a Year 5 Boy

Marion is a great tutor to my Year 5 son who is working towards his 11+ exam. She is kind, patient and sets the right level of expectation for him. I find that he responds well to her calm, straightforward approach and so far has never complained about his tutoring sessions! We’re very pleased with the progress he has made in a short time and Marion has also given us practical advice on next steps for his education.

Mother of a Year 5 Boy - August 2017

Finlay has come on in leaps and bounds since he has been tutored by Marion. We have seen great improvement in his work and confidence. He looks forward to his lessons with Marion who has built a great rapport with him. We have been most impressed with Marion who is supportive, professional and has an ability to get the best out of Finlay. We are delighted that Finlay has been offered places at both Warwick School and Princethorpe College.

Paula & Andy Gravenor - December 2018

Our son started having tuition with Marion to see if he should sit the 11 plus exam. Marion did an initial assessment and was open and honest with us regarding her assessment of his potential. Our son enjoyed attending the lessons with Marion, she worked him hard but he loved learning new things and felt engaged in this learning journey. We felt that Marion was committed to helping him achieve the best outcomes possible. He did really well in the exam and would not have been anywhere near as successful without her help. We are very grateful to Marion for the help, support and advice that she gave us.

Parent of a Year 6 boy - November 2018

Marion successfully tutored our daughter during years 5/6 and she was a significant part of our daughter being ready for the entrance exam into Kings High School, which was our first choice school. Our daughter passed the entrance exam and was awarded a scholarship which was beyond our expectations. Our daughter enjoyed the sessions with Marion and was more motivated to push herself because of her respect for Marion. I would definitely recommend Marion as a tutor for academic results, but also more importantly, for her calm approach and the way in which she motivates her students without pressurising them.

Claire Davis - December 2018

We have been delighted with the tutoring our daughter has received from Marion. Her confidence grew massively working towards to 11+ with Marion and she was able to pass with a wonderful score. We couldn’t be happier!

Parent of a Year 6 girl - January 2019

My 10 year old son went to Marion for tutoring for his 11+ exams. Marion is a fantastic tutor and communicated very well with both myself and my son. As a result of Marion's support in Maths, English and Verbal Reasoning, my son received a Maths scholarship. Her service was professional and very helpful and we are grateful to her.

Seema Mystry - January 2019